The Last Rose
by alyce.swan
Summary: I'll love you until the last one dies." He vowed with sincerity ringing in his voice. She tearfully looked down at the roses. They obviously couldn't last more than a week. NALEX FLUFF! Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!


"Two more days," Alex sighed as she walked into the living room and switched on the TV. She sighed again when she saw the Connect Three performing live in California, which was like fifty billion miles away from New York. "Just two more days." She repeated.

And Justin just happened to walk down the stairs. "I can't believe it! My little "tomboy" sister is counting the days until Valentine's Day! Awww! How romantic!"

Alex flung a spork at him. "Shut up Justin! At least your girlfriend doesn't live all the way across the freakin' country!"

Justin rubbed the spot where the spork hit him and raised up his hands in defense. "Okay, okay Alex... geeze... where do you get all the sporks?"

Alex rolled her eyes and shot another spork across the room at him and stood up, shutting off the TV. "That'll be my little secret." And she pranced away.  


* * *

Alex munched on a bowl of Cheerios. What to do, what to do, what to do? She had already made Valentine gifts, Nate's which she would have to ship to California. Already watched TV for three consecutive hours. (Drake and Josh _rocks_ when you're bored.)

Tomorrow was Valentine's Day. Another lonely Valentine's Day watching corny movies while on the couch eating popcorn.

Nate would most likely be performing somewhere or other, with screaming fan girls. Who knew? Maybe he was even cheating on her right at this moment.

Alex sighed. She and Nate had been separated for over eight months, with only one brief meeting. Maybe he was hiding something. Maybe the next time they met they wouldn't feel the amazing sparks they always felt.

Alex didn't know if she could take these long-distance relationships for any longer. For the love of God, she was only 16! Teenagers aren't supposed to go through these kinds of relationships as intense and far away as hers was.

Alex walked upstairs to her room and sat on her bed. She looked at the framed picture on her side table and sighed (again.) It was a picture of Nate's face. His lips were puckered and his eye's were happy.

_Flashback_

"Nate, I'll miss you so much!" Alex sniffled as she hugged him tight, ignoring the luggage around them. "You'll be gone for so long!"

Nate smiled bravely, a bit teary-eyed. "Don't worry babe, you know I'll always love you." He ran his hands through her silky hair. "In fact, I want you to have this." Nate pulled away from the hug and reached into his backpack. He took out a photo of his face, with his lips puckered. "Now, whenever you miss me, you can just kiss the picture and you'll remember me!"

A teardrop ran down the side of Alex's face as she tried to stay strong. "Geeze, Nate, I never knew you were **this** _conceited!" She joked, her voice cracking at the end. She buried her face in his chest. Her sobs were muffled._

Nate could feel his shirt getting wet. He sighed, and lifted her chin up. "I love you, and not even like fifty billion miles can keep us apart, okay princess?"

She looked into his brown eyes and smiled a tiny bit. "Okay. I love you too." And she kissed him.

End Flashback  
  
So Alex kissed the picture. She felt silly and sad at the same time. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She wanted to sing a happy song and kill something at the same time. So shedid the one thing that made sense at the moment. Alex screamed into her pillow.  


* * *

  
((Valentine's Day))

After half a box of tissues, The Notebook, and A Walk to Remember, Alex decided she would stop feeling depressed and do something fun. Something that would make her feel like a little girl who had no love problems and didn't know what a boyfriend was. So she decided to play dress-up.

An hour later, at five o'clock, when the sun was just starting to set, Alex was twirling around her room in a beautiful dress that she didn't know she owned. Of course, she usually hated dresses and girly-girly things. But the dress she was wearing was just so pretty she couldn't resist trying it on.  
The dress was floaty and fire engine red. It was silky, and Alex found a matching pair of red high heels in the closet and tried them on. To her surprise, they fit.

Spinning around, she heard the doorbell ring. Alex heard Max open the door for whoever was there.

"Is Alex around?" A dreamy, creamy, male voice inquired.

Alex froze. She would know that perfect voice anywhere.

Alex ran down the stairs, smiling. "NATE!" She cried out, and enveloped him in a bear hug. Then she kissed him hard. He grinned and kissed her back. Alex's hands tangled Nate's hair while Nate's arms pulled her body closer to him. Furiously making out, the two felt jolts of high voltage electricity running through their bodies.

Max made a face. "Ewww... gross! I'm gettin' outta here!" The couple didn't even break apart away from each other to see Max run upstairs.

Finally, Alex pulled away and smiled. "I missed you!" She said in a sing song voice.

"I missed you more!" Nate teased in the same voice.

"I doubt it." Alex's happy grin quickly faded and was replaced with a look of sadness.

Nate looked at her, concerned. "What's wrong, princess?"

Alex looked away.

"Aly, you can tell me anything. You know that."

"Okay, well... I'm going to sound _extremely_ stupid but..." Alex broke off blushing.

"Go on..." Nate coaxed.

"You've been cheating on me, haven't you." It wasn't a question.

There was short silence, but it was long enough to answer her statement.

"So you have!" Alex accused. "I didn't want to believe it! And here I was, thinking I had the most perfect boyfriend in the world, while you were off probably getting off with some other girl! Where did you get to, sex?" Alex's anger took over her emotions.

To Alex's extreme shock, Nate nodded. _So he had his first time underage and not with me. Good for you, popstar._

Then she felt sad. "I knew it was too good to be true." Alex looked at the floor in attempt hide her tears.

"Princess, let me explain!" Nate pleaded, looking on the verge of tears himself.

"What is there to explain, Nate! You're dead to me." And with that she slammed the door on his dejected face.

She sniffled and ran upstairs, still in the same dress and heels. She sobbed into her pillow. She had thought Nate was perfect. Until now. Fifteen minutes later, she was out of tears. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was messy. She fixed her appearance a bit, and took out her guitar. Strumming randomly, Alex slowly found a tune. As she hummed it to herself, she filled in words, and felt slightly better when she realized "Nate" rhymed with "hate". However, she decided that no matter what he had done, she couldn't be as mean as that. Trying out the first two lines, she smiled. It fit.

_"Why would you wanna break  
A perfectly good heart"  
_

Her voice echoed a bit in her room. Singing the next lines, she felt happy again. She was doing what she wanted to do. She was free from her burdens.

_"Why would you wanna take  
Our love and tear it all apart_

_Now, why would you wanna make  
The very first scar  
Why would you wanna break  
A perfect good-!"_

There was a thud on her balcony. Alex jumped and screamed, terrified. Until she saw it was Nate.

"What the _hell_ are you doing-" Alex screamed until she was cut off.

"Shhhh, princess." The he began to sing.

_"I don't wanna fall asleep  
Cause I don't know if I'll get up  
And I don't wanna cause a scene  
But I'm dyin' without your love  
I'm beggin' to hear your voice  
Tell me you love me too  
Cause I'd rather just be alone  
If I know that I can't...have...you..."_

During his song, Alex noticed that Nate was holding thirteen crimson roses that matched her dress, and that he was wearing his classic tuxedo outfit. She watched Nate slide open the glass door while singing and slowly walk in. It was until he was right infront of her that she realized he had finished singing.

"I'm sorry, princess."

Nate took a deep breath and looked directly into her beautiful chocolate eyes while handing her the bouquet of red roses.

"I'll love you until the last one dies." He vowed with sincerity ringing in his voice.

The impact of what Nate had just said hit Alex full force. She tearfully looked down at the roses. They obviously couldn't last more than a week.

Alex felt herself about to break down again. She glanced at the roses in her hands again, and then into his hopeful large brown eyes. She couldn't understand. How could Nate come and break her heart _again?_

Then she felt something odd. One of the roses... One felt leathery, and- it was fake. Alex felt a smile spread across her face as she abandoned the roses and leaped into Nate. He kissed her with passion and force.

"I'll never hurt you again. And I won't stop loving you. Not until the last rose dies."

Alex finally felt blessed and happy again. "I love you too."

* * *

**Alex and Nate made out for the second time of the day. Alex smiled into the kiss as she felt Nate's hands slide down to her butt. Nothing could ruin the moment. _Crap, _Alex thought._ I hope I didn't jinx that._**

**But of course, she did.**

**"What the **** are you doing to my sister, you ***hole!" Justin yelled as he "unintentionally" walked in on them.**

* * *

_**Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I know I'm going to be eating loads of candy!**_

**_xoxo, Alyce_**

**_BTW, check out my other stories!_**


End file.
